Improvement in invalid-bedsteads



F. DOLL, M. RIEDER & J. G. DIEHLMANN.

Invalid-Bedstead.

N0. 202,936. Patented April 30.1878.

FIG.5.

FIG.&.

5UNI'I'ED 'STA'IES FRANK DOLL, MARTIN RIEDER,

AND JOHN G. DIEHLMANN, OF

CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

Specification forming art of Letters Patent N0. 202,936, dated April 30, 1878; application filed February 25, 1878.

T0 all whom z't mag; concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK D0LL, MARTIN RIEDER, and J OHN G. DIEHLMANN, of Gonnersville, Fayette county, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Impro vements in Invalid-Beds, of Wlfill the following is a speoifieation This invention relates to that dass 0f siokbeds whioh oonsists, essentially, of three seetions, hinged together, so as to be sei: ab the: most comfortable angle or inolination for'the invalid; an d our 1 improvement oomprises a novel eombination of pivots, ecoentrics, rockshafts, and fixed ol eats, wherewith a greater range 0f adjustmeni; of such hinged seetions may be effeeted than has heretofore been attainable, said rook-shafts and their eocentries bein g seoured in any desired position by a locking devioe that is readily"aoeessible 150 the 0ecupant of the bed.

The prinoipal advantage due to the arrangement of devices as invented by us is, that the foot-seotion is rendered oapable of having it-s free or lowe1end depressed below the general level of the intermediate or body section, as hereinafter 1nore fully deseribed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a bedstead with our jointed frame applied thereto, said frame being shown in its normal or horizontal position. Fi g. 2 ls a sin1ilar illustration, but showin g the head-section slightly elevated. Fig. 3 represents the three sect-ions of the frame sei; an difl'erent angles with reference 110 eaoh other, said frame being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is a plan of the side rails and their aooessories, and Fig. 5 is an elevation 0f the ratohet mechanism of the head-seotion of the frame.

A represents the head-board, B the footboard, and O O the side rails, of a bedstead of any approved construotion. Projeoning inwardly from said rails, and near the midlen gth of the same, are pins or studs c c, which serve as pivots for the intermediate 0r body seotion of the frarne. This section of the mattressframe is oomposed of two parallel rails, D D, -i1nited together with transverse slats d, said rails being adapted 130 vibrate freely within the bedstead O O. Hinged t0 the upper end 0f frame D D d, as a1; E, is the head-section, composed of two parallel rails, F F, and a series of transverse slats,f. Hinged to the lower end of said oentral frame D D, as ab G, is tl1e footsection, oonsisting 0f two parallel rails, H H, and a series of transverse slaos, h.

In order that the oocupant of the bed may readily adjust the jointed frame D F H, we Support the rails F F of the head-section on two eeoentrios 0r cams, I I, whioh latter are seoured to a rock-shaft, J, disposed transversaly of the bedstead C O. Of these rails the one, C, is mortised ab K 130 admii; a ratehetwheel, L, that is secured to rock-shaft J, whose outer end has a square arbor,j, for the en gagement of a key 01 crank, M, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

N is a pawl or detent, that prevents any aeeiden'tal retrograde rotation of ratohet L, said pawl being maintained in gear with the teeth of wheel L by a spring, n, or otherwise. 0 is a knob or handle for operating this pawl, which handle traverses a horizontal slot in plate P, that serves to house the devices L N n within the mortise K. (See Fig. 4.)

'Ihe central section D D is adj usted by means of two oams, R R, of rock-shaft S, that has a square arbor, s, to receive the erank M. This shafm, however, has no ratohet meohanism, as the peculiar manner in which our sections are jointed together enables the hinged frame to be adjusted with a single ratchet. Seoured to ehe side rails C O, ab or near the junctions of seetions D D and H H, are oleats T T, of any proper length.

Our bed is adj usted in the following manner: In the normal oondition of the bed the cams I I are turned so as to present; their straight edges upwardly, while the other can1s, R R, are disposed vertioally, thus causing the sections D D, F F, and H H to assume the horizontal position shown in Fig. l, in whioh position the jointed frame is perfectly rigid or unyielding, and will support as hea 'y a weight as any other form of bed in use.

If it should be desired to elevate the headseetion F F ab a moderate angle, such an adjustment can be effected in a few moments by simply applying crank M to arbor j, am]. then rotate shaft J in the direetion indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, and as soon as the proper ele- PATENT OFFICE.

vation is obtained catch N prevents any retrograde rotation of said shaft. Consequently, section F F is now securely locked in position, and will remain so as long as seid cateh is engaged With the teeth 0f ratchet L. In this po sition of the head-section, the erect eams R R preserve the other members, D D H H 0f the j ointed frame perfectly horizontal; but by turnin g said cams down and rotating the ones I I still farther in the direetion of the arrow, the jointed frame is securely maint-ained in the position seen in Fig. 3, the foot-section H H bein g supported upon the outer extremities 0f cleats T T.

As all of the above-deseribed changes can be effected by rotating the shafts J and S with the crank M, and as said shafts are located. near the head. of the bed, it is evident the invalid can adjust thejointed frame without m11- ing in assistance.

If preferred, metallie plates 01 straps can be secured to the under sides of rails D D and F F f0r the cams 1 I and R R to bear against, and thereby diminish friction and prevent any wear of seid rails.

Finally, theinner ends of cleats T T may be pivoted t0 the rails C O, so as to depend from said rails, as indicated With dotted lines in Fig. 2, which arrangement Will afford more room f0r adj nsting the footsection H H. These pivoted cleats ean be secured in a horizontal position 01' at any desired. angle by the insertion of suitable pins near their outer ends, which pins ma-y be adapted t0 enter a series of holes coneentric with seid pivots.

R0pes, wires, or canvas may be substituted for the slats d f h, upon whieh the mattress 01 bedding rests.

We are aware it is not new 130 employ three hinged sections in a sick-bed, and therefore our claim is expressly limited to such sections when hin ged directly to each other in the manner shown, and rendered adjustable by the within-described combination 0f pivots, rockshafts, eccentrics, fixed eleats, and locking dev1ces.

We claim as 0111 invention- The intermediate seetion D D, pivoted at c c at 01 near its midlength t0 the side rails C C of an invalid bed, seid intermediate memher D D hnving hinged t0 it, at E and G, respeetively, the head-section F F and. foot-section H H, whieh three seetions are adjusted by the eccentries 1 I R -R, roek-shafts J S, and cleats T T, and secnrely retained at any suitable inclination by the locking devices L M N O, the lower end 0f seid. foot-section H H bein g unsupported and capable of depression below the general level 0f body-section D D, as herein described.

In testimonyof whieh invention we hereunto set onr hands.

FRANK DOLL. MARTIN RIEDER. JOHN G. DIEHLMANN.

Witnesses:

LOUIS DOLL, JOSEPH I. LITTLE. 

